ISLAND BEACH STATE PARK — The source of 36 syringes that washed up at the state park late last week still is a mystery to investigators of the state Department of Environmental Protection.
DEP spokesman Larry Ragonese said all beaches were open Tuesday and the source of the syringes found Friday at Island Beach State Park still is being sought.
?We are hoping something might help us to link the source of where they came from but that has not happened yet,? he said.
After lifeguards were alerted syringes washed up on the beach, staff canvassed the park Friday and again Saturday morning before the park?s opening, Ragonese said Tuesday.
?The syringes were found and removed all along the 10-mile island,? he said, noting debris and plastics consistent with north westerly wind ?generally results in a wash-up.?
Ragonese said it was possible that the wash up could have brought the debris from the New York harbor area and the syringes were of a type generally used by diabetics.
?It might have been from a wash-up from a sewer system, which due to the wash-up from the weather and despite screening of that area, got through and washed up on the beach,? he said.
Another full-scale raking of the park?s coast took place Sunday morning and Monday. Close monitoring also took place throughout those days and no additional syringes were discovered, including Tuesday.
?We alerted the Ocean County Health Department of all findings and are reviewing the debris wash-up. This has led us to be at a triple level alertness,? Ragonese said. ?The state has been working very hard to get these beaches (at Island Beach State Park) up and running and we never want to see even one syringe wash up.?
Four ocean beaches in Spring Lake and two beaches in Sea Girt were closed Monday as a result of Sunday night?s rainfall, according to the DEP. Those beaches reopened Tuesday.
Water quality samples were collected at all ocean and bay beach monitoring locations and results will be available Wednesday .
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